okkúba, n. Syringe-like medical instrument. The okkúba is generally made out of a rigid needle and a piece of hollow clear plastic tubing but lacks the characteristic plunger mechanism; instead, blood pressure is relied upon to remove fluid and the okkúba must be suspended like a dialysis bag to inject fluid. The flexible structure of the tube itself makes it possible to connect the okkúba to another instrument, and thereby (usually with aid of a mechanical pump and a second okkúba) improvise a filtration apparatus.